Crocodile on the Sandbank: The Amelia Peabody Series, Book 1

Amelia Peabody embarks on her first Egyptian adventure armed with unshakable self-confidence, a journal for her thoughts, and, of course, a sturdy umbrella. On her way, she rescues Evelyn Barton-Forbes, who has been "ruined" and abandoned on the streets of Rome by her lover. With a typical disregard for convention, Amelia promptly hires her fellow countrywoman as a companion and takes her to Cairo, where strange visitations and a botched kidnapping convince Amelia that there is a plot afoot to harm Evelyn.

Borrower of the Night: The First Vicky Bliss Mystery

It began as a game, a treasure hunt in an old German castle. For Vicky Bliss, tall, beautiful, and brilliant, it is also a challenge, a chance to bring an arrogant young man down a notch or two. And all things considered, it would have been no contest.

Naked Once More

Elizabeth Peters has attracted a huge following of listeners with her ability to deliver snappy stories, witty dialogue, and appealing characters. In Naked Once More, Peters creates a heroine you won't soon forget, the flamboyant Jacqueline Kirby, popular author and outspoken ex-librarian.

Crowned and Dangerous

Nothing is simple when you're 35th in line for the British crown, least of all marriage. But with love on their side and plans to elope, Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her beau, Darcy O'Mara, hope to bypass a few royal rules....

Strangeways to Oldham: The Belchester Chronicles, Book 1

Lady Amanda Golightly of Belchester Towers is a person in complete contrast to the stereotypical image of her upper-class breeding. She is short, portly, and embarrassingly forthright. On a visit to a local nursing home, she unexpectedly discovers a long-lost friend, Hugo Cholmondley-Crichton-Crump - and stumbles upon a murder. The pair turn to sleuthing after Lady Amanda reports her appalling discovery to the local police inspector, who treats her as a silly old biddy with an overactive imagination.

The Inheritance: Charles Lenox Mysteries, Book 10

Charles Lenox has received a cryptic plea for help from an old Harrow schoolmate, Gerald Leigh, but when he looks into the matter he finds that his friend has suddenly disappeared. As boys they had shared a secret: a bequest from a mysterious benefactor had smoothed Leigh's way into the world after the death of his father. Lenox, already with a passionate interest in detective work, made discovering the benefactor's identity his first case - but was never able to solve it.

In Milady's Chamber: John Pickett Mysteries, Book 1

Estranged from her husband through her failure to produce an heir, Lady Fieldhurst resolves to repay his neglect by taking a lover. Fate takes a hand when she and her would-be lover enter her bedchamber to find Lord Fieldhurst lying on the floor - with her nail scissors protruding from his neck.

Masked Ball at Broxley Manor: A Royal Spyness Novella

At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man - until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd: A Flavia de Luce Novel, Book 8

In spite of being ejected from Miss Bodycote's Female Academy in Canada, 12-year-old Flavia de Luce is excited to be sailing home to England. But instead of a joyous homecoming, she is greeted on the docks with unfortunate news: Her father has fallen ill, and a hospital visit will have to wait while he rests. But with Flavia's blasted sisters and insufferable cousin underfoot, Buckshaw now seems both too empty - and not empty enough.

A Quiet Life in the Country: A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 1

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they've just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life. But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There's a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation...

Publisher's Summary

Best-selling mystery author Elizabeth Peters has captured the hearts of thousands of readers with her spunky Victorian Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody Emerson. In Seeing a Large Cat, Amelia must ensnare a modern-day killer, a bogus spiritualist, and a predatory debutante in the awesome Valley of the Kings. Someone is sending ominous messages: "Stay away from tomb Twenty-A!" Intrigued, parasol-wielding Amelia won't rest until she finds the forbidden burial site. But when the excavation yields an unusual mummy, she suddenly must protect both her family and the macabre discovery.

Her Ph.D. in Egyptology enables Elizabeth Peters to portray a lavishly detailed turn-of-the-century Egypt in her lively tale of crisp wit and shivery suspense. The spirited cast including Amelia, her eccentric family, and an array of international characters bursts into life with Barbara Rosenblat's brilliant narration.

Elizabeth Peters can always be depended on to write an entertaining tongue in cheek adventure, containing mysteries, at least one murder, danger and wry commentary on the social mores of the day. In this 9th book in the Amelia Peabody series, she delivers one of her best!

The year is 1903. In the 3 years since the previous book, the Emersons' son, Ramses, and their adopted daughter, Nefret, have aged and grown. Ramses is 16 and is 6 feet tall, Nefret is 19 and has begun to take classes at a London medical school for women. Ramses and his friend David Todros have spent the summer with a sheik and his tribe and are consequently much more mature than the previous year.

The plot involves a search for the alleged murderer of a woman, led by the actual murderer; discovery of a tomb below the floor of the Valley of the Kings; a collapse of the tomb roof trapping Amelia; the saving of Amelia by Ramses; freeing an old friend from powerful delusions about an Egyptian princess; and Vandergelt's infatuation with and engagement to an Englishwoman involved in the princess delusions matter. Much of the last half of the tale creates a good deal of suspense and laughter.

I continue to be amazed by the astounding talents of narrator Barbara Rosenblat. She is, without doubt, the most versatile narrator I have encountered on Audible. The Amelia Peabody stories require not only a wide range of accents in both male and female voices. They require, and Rosenblat delivers superbly, the voice of one character, Ramses, aging from 4 and 5 to 8, 10, 13, and now 16, while remaining clearly recognizable as the same character. A real tour-de-force!

After the disaster that was <i>The Hippopotamus Pool</i>, <i>Seeing a Large Cat</i> is a refreshing return to the novels of old. Back is the fun dialogue, the satiric eye-wink of a mystery, and wonderful banter between Emerson and Amelia. With this book, Peters has pushed the children into their middle to late teens, which provides for new an interesting voices to combat the bombastic Emerson and the lovingly know-it-all Amelia. The addition of David, the only good thing to come out of <i>The Hippopotamus Pool</i>, provides a refreshing new voice to the series and loving foil to Ramses and Nefret. Also new to this book is the addition of "Manuscript H," which provides a fictionalized voice to the adventures of Ramses, Nefret, and David. While I liked the addition of a new voice that allows for a perspective different from Amelia Peabody's, I found the way Peters chose to insert them into the novel annoying. I would rather have had her break the Manuscript H sections into seperate chapters, but she's the writer, not me. Overall, this was a nice return to the Amelia Peabody mysteries of old, but with new voices, new characters, the return of old favorites, and a much more dramtic turn than we've seen before. As usual, the vocal stylings of Barbara Rosenblatt are spot on. Her over-the-top vocalizations bring a wry humor to the already fun story.

Seeing a Large Cat has now become my favorite of all the Amelia Peabody series books. It even got 5 stars from me, which is not something I do very often.

The story was exceptionally good and I am in love with the grown up Ramses. I did not find him whinny or annoying (as another reviewer noted). I found him sexy and intriguing. I am very pleased with the grown up Ramses voice - I can't say the same for David's voice. In my opinion his voice should have been more British in light of his adoption by the Walter Emersons and subsequent British education.

The Emerson family is back in Luxor - and they have built a house nearby. They still have their boat (the Amelia). David and Ramses are staying in the boat and Amelia, Emerson and Nefret are staying at the house. There are visits (known and unknown) between the two locations. Cyrus is discovering a love interest and we find that Ramses has a love interest too. The mysteries in the story are quite perplexing and the entire family and crew are involved in solving them. Ramses female cat (I can't spell her name) from previous books has died, and Ramses is quietly and silently grieving over her death - they had a special bond. Nefret wants to ease his grief by trying to get him to pay attention to one of the deceased cat's kittens, but Ramses isn't consoled at all by the new kitten.

The book includes a character named Dolly, a Southern Belle from America whom I itched to slap. She has eyes for Ramses. She is so hateful and spiteful that she may come back in future books. Dolly is the type you love to hate and she is the polar opposite of Nefret. Needless to say, Nefret can't stand her either.

Unlike another reviewer, I absolute love the insertions of Manuscript H. I think they make perfect sense where they are placed and help move the story along. Also, the Manuscript H sections are apparently written by Ramses but he writes them as if they are a fiction story. They are really helpful to tell what is happening out of Amerlia's sight and provide a viewpoint other than Amelia's about events and people (including Amelia). I think they add spice to the series and keep the books from becoming monotmous, which they will do if we only hear Amelia talking all the way through every book. I love Amelia, but she can get a little stuck on herself sometimes.

This series is a favorite. The history is reliable, the style is authentic, and the plots are engaging. The the characters are likable and amusing; their development and their changing relationships pique interest in the ongoing saga.
A great plus in the audio versions is the amazing Barbara Rosenblat, who gives each character a distinctive and convincing voice.

I've been an avid reader of these books but I tend to skip around so this is my first time actually listening to this book or reading it as I was doing at the same time it is not as good as others and I truly dislike the storyline for Enid and Donald. It seems nothing like their characters had been turned into bumbling morons for the purpose of writing a book the rest of the story was fairly decent in exploring Ramsey's being a teen because sometimes we forget he is a lot younger than he seems. The book seems like it's good for nothing other than being an introductory for what's about to happen. It is more laid-back but still on the goofy pointless kind. I still recommend it as it is necessary to understand what is to come.

Love it! A delightful cozy read full of adventure and intrigue! Amelia and Emerson are fabulously and quirkily romantic in their Funny English way and Ramses reveals a deep passionate nature hidden so well normally.

I can only repeat that I love the Amelia Peabody books. The stories are good and educational, and the characters are brought to life by Barbara Rosenblat.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Deborah

Bristol, United Kingdom

6/10/12

Overall

"Old-style Sweet"

Really enjoyed this, in the style of an Agatha Christie novel. Good characters, well-read though with a couple of odd accents that just added to its 'old-style'ness'.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

B. A. Chapman

Hertfordshire, UK

2/18/11

Overall

"Another button lost"

FANTASTIC - The Amelia Peabody books are fabulous, and the reader of the series of audio books, including this one, has added yet another dimention to my enjoyment of these stories. Brilliant.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

lauraclaire

7/5/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"An entertaining listen"

The narrator really brings out the humour of the story, giving life to the various characters. This book sees the return of Donald and Enid Fraser (from book 4). I particularly enjoyed the parts of the story that were told from Ramses' perspective. I have enjoyed seeing him grow up and play a greater part in the family adventures. The world of Amelia Peabody is a place I always enjoy escaping to!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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